Inspections and Permits

The University Facilities Department is responsible for issuing permits for construction and alteration activities to assure compliance with all applicable codes and university standards.

The Permit Process

University Facilities Policy 2.1, Alterations or Improvements to University Facilities, requires a Facility Renovation Permit in all cases when a department other than University Facilities desires to direct the work. The permit application must be submitted to and approved by the Building Official a minimum of four (4) weeks in advance of work commencing to allow time for review various permit reviewers. The permit, once approved, must remain posted throughout the life of the project. Obtaining the permit is the responsibility of the department project manager. The contractor is responsible for their work, which includes insuring that the work is checked by the Building Official and other Facilities inspection staff.

Project Notifications and Signage

In addition to fulfilling the requirements stipulated in the permit approval, the departmental project manager must adhere to the same procedures followed by University Facilities project managers for project notifications and proper signage. All projects, regardless of size, must have proper advance customer notifications and signage of pending disruptions due to projects or other disruptive work in any occupied Clemson University buildings or grounds on or off campus. The notification provided to those that may be impacted by the project must be consistent and provide sufficient advance knowledge of the disruptions to allow individuals to plan alternate routes or job accommodations if necessary with their supervisors. Proper notification and signage will also minimize the questions that occur during the project. Below are the procedures for obtaining a permit, the construction and inspection process, as well as steps and templates for project notification and signage.

Obtaining a Facilities Renovation Permit +

Review all the steps below prior to downloading the Permit form and Notification/Signage Templates within the sections below.

Follow the instructions for downloading the form and submitting a completed application with all attachments to University Facilities. A work order will be created for the Building Official to review the permit application. The requestor will receive e-mails with status updates and will be able to access the work order for comments via the University Facilities website. A permit application must contain sufficient information and detail to fully describe the work to be done including a complete set of plans and specifications for bidding the work.

If the permit application involves modifying a floor plan, a detailed drawing indicating the changes must be included or delays in review will occur.

The application will be reviewed for compliance with the following:

Asbestos program

University design standards

ADA requirements

Building, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Codes

Fire Codes

Environmental Safety and Health standards

Allow four (4) weeks to complete the initial review. An incomplete application will be cause for returning it to the originator with a request for more information thus delaying the approval.

Once approved, a copy of the permit will be sent to the originator. Work shall not start prior to receipt of the approved permit.

Download the Renovation Permit +

We provide a Renovation Permit form that you can fill out using Adobe Reader. However, to ensure that it reaches our Dispatch office please take care to follow the steps below:

Fill out the Renovation Permit form. Once you're finished, click the "Email to Facilities" button at the very bottom.

Choose "Desktop Email Application" if prompted and click OK. A new email window will appear with the Renovation Permit form already attached, along with the To: line populated with FACILITIES_WOREQ-L@CLEMSON.EDU. All you have to do now is click Send.

If you happen to left-click on the link above and open the Renovation Permit form within your web browser, you will likely run into problems filling out the form and / or emailing it successfully to Dispatch. So remember, always right-click on the link, save the form to your computer, and fill it out with Adobe Reader.

The Construction and Inspection Process +

A copy of the approved permit must be posted at the work location. The plans shall be available at the job site for review by the Building Code Official and any other inspectors.

Inspections may be scheduled by a contractor or permit holder by calling 864-656-1862 during normal business hours of 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Inspections are required before enclosing walls or ceilings. Failure to schedule an inspection before work is covered up may be cause for tearing out work completed to allow inspection.

A final inspection is required before the space can be reoccupied.

Auditoriums and other places of assembly must post a sign indicating the maximum occupant load.

Questions on this process may be referred to the Building Code Official at 864-656-1862 during normal business hours.

Project Notification and Signage Process +

Project Notification Forms

Some of the documents below do not render properly within a web browser. Please right-click on the links below and save the documents to your computer before viewing.

NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTON DISRUPTION – filled out for specific project (see sample) and sent to affected Building Security Coordinators (BSCs) requesting that they forward the notice to ALL BLDG OCCUPANTS, copied to you for the record. The NOTICE is only a one-time per project notification that the PM prepares and sends to the BSC for distribution to building occupants well in advance of a project’s start date. A listing of BSC’s is available on the University Facilities web page: www.clemson.edu/facilities.

Construction Notification Sign(s) – see sample. Print out specific number required depending on the entries to building; laminate sign to protect and post appropriately throughout the project duration.

Outage notifications related to your project should be posted on the University Calendar available on the Clemson University homepage. This calendar should be for temporary utility, parking, and other disruptions associated with your project, not for posting the project itself.

If your project will have an asbestos and /or lead abatement, you MUST also include:

Asbestos Notification – filled out for specific project (see sample) and include with NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION DISRUPTION to the BSC.

Lead Notification - filled out for specific project (see sample) and include with NOTICE OF CONSTRUCTION DISRUPTION to the BSC.

Asbestos Abatement Sign – Fill out for specific project (see sample) and post appropriately throughout the duration of the abatement. Remove upon completion of abatement.

Lead Abatement Sign – Fill out for specific project (see sample) and post appropriately throughout the duration of the abatement. Remove upon completion of abatement.

NOTE: The asbestos/lead signs are posted ONLY while the abatement is in progress and then subsequently removed by the Project Manager.

IMPORTANT – Project Managers must save a copy of all notifications, signs, outage notifications, and related emails for a specific project for later retrieval should a question or problem arise related to advance notification and signage during construction.